Operation Manual

Driving and o peration 165
Driv ing chara cteristics, tow ing tip s
In the case of caravans / trailers with
brakes 3, atta ch the breakaway stopp ing
cable to the eye 3 or loop around coupling
ball b ar if no ey e is ava ila ble.
Ensure cable is crossed under the coupling
soc ket to ensure the caravan / tra iler nose
cannot drop to the ground if it becomes
separated from the tra iler hitch.
Do not allow the cable to drag along the
ground and always allow enough sla ck to
permit full turning. Follow the instructions
sup plied w ith the towing equipment.
Before coupling the caravan / tra iler,
lubricate the ball of the caravan / trailer
towing device. However, do not do so if a
stabilizer which acts on the coupling ball is
being used to dam p rolling motions.
Handling is greatly influenced by the
loading of the caravan / trailer. Loads
should therefore be secured so that they
cannot slip and should be plac ed in the
centre of the cara van / trailer if possible,
i.e . abov e the axle .
Vauxhall genuine parts and accessories
which ca n be subsequently fitted aid trailer
opera tion, e.g. large mirrors for wide
carava ns / trailers.
In the case of caravans / trailers with low
directional stab ility, it is a dvisa ble to use a
friction-type sta biliz er to da mp rolling
motions.
Do not drive faster than 50 m ph (80 km/h),
even in countries where higher speeds are
permitted.
When driving uphill, do not drive faster
than 20 mph (30 km/h) in 1st gear, or
30 mp h (50 km/ h ) in 2nd gear.
Make sure that you have enough room
when cornering and a void s ud den
manoeuvres.
If the caravan / trailer starts to swa y, drive
more slowly, do not a ttempt to correct the
steering and b ra ke sharply if necessary.
If it is necessary to a pply the brakes fully,
depress the brake ped al as hard as
possible.
The cooling fan is electrically operated.
The fan cooling capacity is not, therefore,
dependent on engine speed. It is not
necessary, w hen driving uphill, to shift
down into a lower g ear if the vehicle can
climb in a higher gea r.
When coupled to a cara van / trailer, the
ve hicle re quires more braking e ffort when
driving d ow n long gradients, so select the
same gear as you would when driv ing
uphill and drive at roug hly the same speed.
Automatic transm ission in Automatic
mode will select the driving programme
with the optim um engine braking effect.
Remem ber that b raking distanc es for
vehicles towing caravans / trailers with and
without brakes is always greater than for
vehicles not towing a caravan / trailer. For
caravans / trailers with brakes, follow the
instructions carefully. Do not m ake any
modifications to the brake system.
Always c heck lights on caravans / trailers
before towing. Ensure national regulations
are observed.
The fog tail light on the vehicle is
deactivated when towing a caravan /
trailer.
When reversing, if possible, ha ve someone
provide assistance.
Drive slowly and shift down into a lower
gear when descending steep grad ients
rather than holding the footbrake
depressed, to avoid overheating and
re duc ed b rake efficiency.